Rail-joint.



PATENTED DEC. l5, 1903;.

J. A. BRIDGE.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1903.

' No MODEL.

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UNITED SmartsV Patented December 15, 1903.

Arpt OFFICE.

RAILWJOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,125, dated December 15, 1903.

Application iiled September 17, 1903. Serial No. 173,536. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Wall Station, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. V

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints, and relates more particularly to a means for tying the ends of the abutting rails together.

The invention is particularly adapted to be used in connection with my improved joint for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 713,591 were granted to me November 11, 1902, and the present invention is anim provement on the device described and claimed in said patent.

Briey described, my present invention comprises a pair of strap-plates adapted to fit in the grooves in the inner face of the shplates of the rail-joint,one of said strap-plates carrying pins which pass through elongated openings in the webs of the rails and engage in apertures provided therefor in the opposite strap-plate.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had te the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional View of a joint constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a side view of a part of the rails. Fig. 4 is a plan View of one of the strap-plates. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the other strap-plate. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

In the illustration of my present invention I have shown the fish-plates l and the base-plate 2 of the same form of construction as shown and described in my prior patent, above referred to. These fish-plates 1 in the present instance I construct on the one face with grooves 3, in which are placed the strap-plates 4 and 5, which lie in said grooves and are in contact with the webs 6 of the rails. The webs 6 of the rails are provided with elongated apertures 7, with which register the apertures 8, provided in the strap-plate 4, near each end thereof. The strap-plate 5 carries pins 9, which may be made integral with the said strap-plate or inserted therein, as may be desired, though, as these plates will generally be cast, I preferably construct the pins integral with the plates. These pins 9 project through the elongated apertures 7 in the webs of the rails and engage in the apertu res 8 of the strap-plate 4, thus tying the two rails together. The elongated aperture 7permits the travel of the pins. therein to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the rails.

It will be noted that various slight changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a railjoint,the combination with the {ishplates having grooves on their inner faces, of strap-plates fitted in said grooves, one of said strap-plates having an opening near each end, and the other of said strap-plates carrying pins at its ends to project through the apertures provided in the rail-webs and engage in the apertures of the first-mentioned strap-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. BRIDGE. Witnesses:

ERNEST M. ORR, J. C. BaoADFoor. 

